Eastern Sierra Adventure on the JMT

Banner Peak over Thousand Island Lake.

I must admit that this summer has been one of the best ever for outdoor adventures as you can see from many of the great stories I have already posted. Continuing in the seemingly never ending quest for adventure was a backpack trip put together by a good friend Erica whom I hike with bi-weekly at Turtle Rock. She inquired if any of us regulars at Turtle Rock would be interested in a week long backpacking trip along the John Muir Trail (JMT) in the Sierras in the summer. Nearly all of us had expressed early interest in such a trip so the plan was put in motion to make it a reality back in the early Spring.

Erica was able to grab a permit for us to depart from Silver Lake along the June Lake Loop following the Rush Creek trail. Our plan was to head up from there to Thousand Island Lake and spend several days exploring before heading on north via the JMT over Donohue Pass and dropping into Lyell Canyon and finishing our hike at Tuolomne Meadows where we would catch a bus back to where we started. We had lots of time to complete the hike which was only about 28 miles without our exploration days and for a bunch of folks who normally head out to climb big peaks and pound out excruciatingly long distances this sounded quite pleasant. The trip would consist of Erica as our group leader, Alex, Jason and his wife Alisa, CP and I. I had backpacked with all of them before except Erica whereas she had never backpacked with any of us. I knew we would have a great time together. All of us were very experienced backpackers, all with different styles but certainly all very fit, easy going personalities and ready for whatever we would face.

Group photo, less me, at the start of our trip.

When working out the logistics I suggested a 3AM departure from home on the day of the hike. While some question the very early start I always like to sleep in my bed the night before a trip and travel the desert in the darkness and watch the sunrise as I approach the southern end of the Sierras. Everyone agreed and we met up in Mammoth a little after 8AM for breakfast after picking up our permit in the ranger station. We were all excited to begin a great adventure together. Half of us had recently completed a trip up Halfdome in Yosemite and the thought of being together again on the trail for another epic adventure was overwhelming. It shouldn't be legal to have this much fun, but I won't tell if you don't!

Arriving at our trailhead near Silver Lake we sorted out our group gear. We would only bring two stoves, my MSR Reactor for our hot water needs and Jason's traditional canister stove with fancy homemade windscreen and fry pan for cooking. Two water filters and enough canister fuel rounded out the collection. We rolled out of the Rush Creek trailhead just before 11AM. It is a fairly good elevation gain on the first day, about 3,000 ft., with full packs on a very sun exposed trail before dropping into the basin containing Thousand Island Lake at 10,000 ft. Along the way we passed several reservoirs that feed the hydro power generation along the way. While the water is nice they still look a little too man made so we all appreciated it once we got back into the wilderness far enough to leave man made stuff behind and get a taste of the real backcountry where the only stuff we saw was from nature except for a few trails to aid us in getting there. Lunch was taken along the Clark Lakes and most of us opted for a swim to cool off from the climb that was now behind us.

The group, less CP, as we arrive at Thousand Island Lake.

We rolled into Thousand Island Lake that afternoon and it was everything the pictures I had looked at made it out to be and more. Banner Peak rises majestically at the end of the lake making it a very picturesque place, probably why EVERY photo you look at on the Internet of Thousand Island Lake includes a shot of Banner in the background. The lake itself is rather large and had many islands, nowhere near one thousand but lots is good enough. I have heard about the beauty of this lake and have wanted to day hike it while in Mammoth in the past but it is a 20 mile round trip day hike from Agnew Meadows which does not leave much time to enjoy the location. We arrived at the lake about 3:30PM and headed far off the JMT to try and find a more secluded camp location at this very popular destination. Near the JMT people were camped  literally right on top of each other! We all agreed that we did not come to the backcountry to camp next to others like a campground so we explored the distant northwest shore of the lake where we found a good location with a lovely rock to make our common kitchen area on that sported a great view, comfortable rock ledges for natural seating and backrests, and as Alisa pointed out, plenty of large black ants to provide a cleaning service for any crumbs we happen to drop to keep us bear safe!

After setting up camp, Jason and Alex headed off to try their hand at fishing, something they had both been very excited about. While I do enjoy fishing and have spent lots of time doing it in Alaska, I really wanted to spend my time exploring and swimming on this trip and left the fishing gear at home. I guess for me it is something I enjoy much more with my boys so exploring and swimming with friends sounded more appealing to me. The remainder of us went for a swim in what was left of the afternoon sun as it would be dropping behind Mt. Davis to the west of us in the late afternoon. The water was rather chilly as is expected in the Sierras but sure felt good on the feet and offered a chance to get semi clean after a hot and dusty hike in.

Our camp kitchen on our first night.

Full moon over Banner Peak.

Our fishermen returned empty handed. The lake was too shallow at our end for good fishing which likely explains why we did not see anyone else trying to fish near us. It was now dinner time and to make our evenings a little more fun we had agreed that each of us would bring a dinner to share with everyone. This not only gave the element of surprise as it related to what was for dinner but also gave us all a break as we only had to prepare our meal on our night and got to just observe and relax in camp on all the other nights. Jason went first as he tends to bring lots of fresh ingredients that may not keep too long. He worked up quite a feast with some tortillas he cooked up made with some powdered masa and filled them with some peppers and sausage he had grilled up along with some cotija  cheese. It was a very nice first meal together and Erica who was really only used to seeing traditional freeze dried meals on the trail was most impressed. CP who typically brings wine on backpack trips figured the alcohol to weight ratio was no good on wine and this time elected for some scotch! I had a small plastic measuring cup, AKA shot glass, that was filled and passed around to liven up the evening a little. We enjoyed a great meal together and headed off to bed shortly after nightfall as the full moon rose just thereafter casting it's reflection along the lake before us. What a great view to go to bed with.

CP and Erica with Garnet Lake below.

Day two was to be an "easy" exploration day. We all decided that a great day trip would be to travel cross country (no trail, just a map and compass to guide us) over a nearby ridge to the south and drop into Garnet Lake. The hike over was spectacular, both the scenery and terrain occupied our minds during our travels. It did not take too long before we were over the ridge and descended into a very lush valley holding Garnet Lake and the creeks that feed it. The views there were incredible as well as it was much greener on this side of the ridge. The other surprising thing was that there was nearly nobody at this lake as they were all packed around Thousand Island Lake right off the JMT! We got down to waters edge and half of us went swimming while the other half fished. The first fish was snagged by Jason as soon as he put his pole in the water and before we could even get our shoes off to swim! This was a good sign for the day for sure. A couple more fish later and Jason held class on holding fish. Erica who used to catch and dissect eels for Environment Canada was a little uneasy with these local trout. She gave it a try but quickly decided the job was not for her. Jason's wife Alisa was ok with holding them however and posed with a fish she caught for a picture.

The girls show off one of the prized first fish.

It was lunchtime shortly thereafter and Erica and I swam out to an island to have our lunch. We thought others would be joining us but it turned out they were having too much fun fishing. I decided to take my small daypack with me, holding it up out of the water with one hand. I figured I swim regularly and should be able to manage about 100 yards this way. Well, I was wrong! About 75 yards out I found it very difficult to hold the pack out of the water and found myself struggling. Erica, a former lifeguard and regular swimmer, offered to take the pack. I told her I had it but she insisted. I handed it to her, who weighs about half what I do, and she began to sink almost instantly and handed right back! At this point I figured better to let the pack get a little wet, whatever was inside can dry, and I swam the remainder and got on the island. Ugg! That was not fun, perhaps it would have been easier had we not been at 10,000ft.? Our friends on shore cooked up some trout while we dined on the island. I was not looking forward to the swim back and the wind had picked up as well, blowing against the direction of our return. We waited for the wind to die down AND we drank lots of the fluids I had in the pack to lighten it. Ultimately we figured a way to attach it to my head so I could swim back with both arms and this proved to be no problem.

Alex takes in the view before dropping into Ruby Lake.

Once back on shore Jason offered up some fresh trout. Erica shared with us that she had never eaten something she had seen killed before. Needless to say, this was the freshest fish she had ever had and we all enjoyed it. After our feast it was time to swim again, back to the island, sans pack, with Jason, Alisa and I for a little sun before returning to move onward. We had chosen to head back by cutting over a different spot on the ridge and cruising by Ruby Lake. Along the way we noticed a little swimming hole that felt fairly warm, at least compared to the others swiming spots, so we all jumped into that one. We had to have been the best smelling backpackers in the entire area with all this bathing going on! We finally got out and headed over the ridge to Ruby Lake and hung out there for a short time before heading back to camp. Jason and Alex once again headed out to catch fish while the rest of us relaxed in camp.

Erica enjoys her first day of eating fresh fish.

That night was my turn to cook. I made my favorite, trail tacos, and they were well liked with fresh cheese and avocado and this time even a little dehydrated sour cream. We once again had some trout that Jason returned with before dinner. Erica proclaimed her love of fresh trout and was first in line to have a little. Jason cooked it up with some fresh peppers and sage from his garden making it all the better. That night Erica broke out a card game she had brought called Quiddler. It is kind of a card game version of Scrabble. We found it very fun and played a few rounds before bed. Erica was quite good at it and made sure we all knew it, she did not realize that she had just signed her Quiddler death warrant!

Jason and I at North Glacier Pass.

The next morning we were up a little earlier as our destination was Mt. Davis, another day excursion from camp. This peak was just over 12,000 ft. and we needed to go cross country over North Glacier Pass to get up to it. The off trail travel was fun and route finding fairly easy. We made it to the pass and found out how absolutely beautiful Lake Catherine is at this high pass. The deep blue water was something not often found in the Sierra's and likely the result of the glacial waters that drain into it from the Banner/Ritter saddle. We admired it and moved on. Now the travel got a little more difficult with some rock scrambling and route finding required. We made it up to about 11,500 ft. and viewed what might be Mt. Davis, or not. The path ahead was loads of talus and the climb up appeared a little too much for a fun excursion for all but Jason and I. The rest opted to head back to Lake Catherine while Jason and I pushed on.

Jason and I atop Mt. Davis with Banner and Ritter behind us.

Alisa goes all in back at glacial fed Lake Catherine. Brrrrr

The rest of the trip to the summit of Davis was not as bad as it first appeared. Several hundred more yards of difficult talus before we got onto some snow for easier travel and then to smaller rock that was not too bad. I had estimated that when the others turned back we were only and hour from the peak, I was close, 50 minutes later we were signing the summit register! Jason and I had lunch and enjoyed the incredible views offered from this vantage point. Banner and Ritter were very prominent to the south, Thousand Island Lake to the east, to the north was Donohue Pass which we would be crossing the next day but it was hard to make out. We headed back down, making very good time as Jason and I are very quick in this type of terrain together. We crossed over the pass and came across CP and Erica at the bottom of a short glissade. Jason and I yelled a hello down to them and then got on our butts and slid down in the glissade path they had created and rejoined the group for the final descent back to camp. We heard of their swimming stories in the frigid lake and we shared our tales of getting to the summit. Back in camp it was dinner time, preceded by a swim, some relaxation and of course a game or two of Quiddler. CP proved victorious this time. It was Alex's turn for dinner and he did a fresh pasta carbonara with parmesan and salami that was very delicious.

A little more fresh trout for the evening with lemon.

Our forth day we decided to pack up and move over Donohue Pass and drop into Lyell Canyon. It was another long day on the trail. We started by travelling cross country over a nearby ridge to rejoin the JMT, shaving at least a mile off of the days travels. It was to be about a 8 to 10 mile day to get to where we thought we would like to camp where the river would run slow and wide giving Alex the perfect conditions for his fly rod that as of yet had not landed any fish. Along the way we came across a father with his 7 year old son hiking from Devils Postpile all the way to Yosemite Valley. They were fun to talk to and we gave the youngster a lot of praise for his efforts and hiked on by. Lunch was yet again along a river and offered a chance for a little foot soaking before pushing on. We only had to climb 1,000 ft. to get over the pass but for some reason it felt just as tough as the first day to me. Not sure why but I cannot help how I feel.

The Glenn Lightning Rod. Do not try this at home kids!

Erica, our group leader atop Donohue Pass with map in hand.

The weather was building up and looking like rain was nearby as we approached the pass. Not a good spot to encounter weather when you are at the high point of your travels and very exposed. Sure enough, we started to get a little light rain as we were climbing the final portion of the pass. Out came rain jackets and even though they are fancy Gortex breathable material it was still questionable if they kept more water out or trapped more in. Earlier in the day the group guessed what time we would cross the pass, Alisa was dead on in her timing, 2PM I think. We waited up top for everyone. Since I had been offered by our group leader to serve as the lightning rod for the group due to my height, I grabbed a few trekking poles and arrayed them over my head for a great picture of me doing my group duty. It was good for a few laughs for sure! While we waited on CP to arrive at the pass, Erica and I headed up to the top of nearby hill to get a better view. From the top we could see the peaks we were leaving behind as well as the meadows we were heading towards for that nights camp. We could also clearly see Mt. Lyell and the Lyell Glacier signifying we had crossed over Donohue Pass and were now on the descent to the lush valley below. From this high vantage point we could identify some of the peaks in the area, and the weather closing in upon us! We also came across the infamous Sierra mini bear, AKA the marmot.

The group below the Lyell Glacier.

We quickly descended the pass and took a break at an unnamed lake below the Lyell Glacier. It was quite interesting to look up at this glacier as it holds a little history to me. Once upon a time my dad and his college roommate were going to climb Mt. Lyell and glissade down this very glacier, probably after reading one of John Muir's tales or perhaps a story out of Roughing It by Mark Twain. Well dad got as far as buying the ice axe, which he still has in his closet to this day, but the closest he is ever going to get to that glacier is the picture I took at its base!

Fortunately the skies were clearing a little as we made our way down. We came across a spot that is popular with the JMT hikers to camp and once again they were crammed on top of each other like sardines in a can. We headed on down a little further to where the meadows began and found just what we were looking for about 500 yards off the main trail. We discovered the most incredible camp, used by the folks with the pack animals as best we could figure, ready for us to use. It had a great fire pit, stack of precut wood, plenty of spots to put tents and lots of local firewood and kindling as well as access to water nearby. All this with an absolutely incredible view of the meadows below us. We quickly set up camp and now that we were in an area we could have a fire, we proceeded to use this right and got one going right away! I harvested some wood from a downed tree nearby as I did not want to use that which had already been left there. We were in a Yosemite paradise. We could see folks on the JMT as they passed at a distance and we were fortunate to have stumbled across this location. While we did not swim this afternoon, most if not all of us did wash up down at the river before putting on our evening clothes.

Alex hanging out by our campfire in this perfect location.

Dinner was great as once again I did not have to cook! CP had brought some freeze dried lasagna as well as some beef stroganof. For dessert he also had a blueberry cheesecake as I recall, whatever it was it was good! We all enjoyed hanging by the campfire, quite a novelty when backpacking for many of us due to fire restrictions. As the evening progressed we noticed clouds building and heard a few distant claps of thunder. Before long and shortly after dark the lightning grew much closer and a full on rain storm came with it! Now this is exactly what I had been waiting for, something I was so accustomed to encountering when camping in Tuolomne Meadows as a kid. Off to our tents we went to ride out the storm. It rained fairly heavy for about an hour or so and the lightning continued for about that long as well. It was so enjoyable to be hunkered down in the tent, warm and dry, with the storm brewing outside. I slept very well that night.

Alex drops his fly in the water and is treated with an instant bite!

Hard to beat this location, Jason drops in a fly to test the waters.

Yet another morning was upon us. By this time in the trip I had really forgotten what day it was, how many days in we were and since I was not wearing a watch by choice to help me really unwind, (no pun intended) I had completely lost all relation of days entirely. It was such a great feeling!!! So in that spirit, on day whatever it was, we all got up late and had absolutely no plans whatsoever. Over breakfast we discussed what we might like to do. We knew Jason and Alex wanted to go fishing and this was a great location for them to fly fish. I wanted to explore but didn't much care where and CP and Erica liked that plan and Alisa wanted to enjoy camp and the fire. With those plans we all headed out with a plan to return to camp for a group lunch in the early afternoon. Jason and Alex were scouting the river for fishing holes while CP, Erica and I looked for good swimming holes. Our paths crossed right when the guys put their lines in the water. Both had bites almost immediately! This was especially good news for Alex as it was the first bite on his new fly rod that was ideally suited for this type of slow river fishing. CP, Erica and I continued downstream scouting out swimming holes and hiked on down river enjoying the views before rejoining the JMT to hike back to camp.

The final Quiddler match following the NeoAirlympics

We all returned to camp and had lunch. Alisa had a group lunch for us that day and we had egg noodles with some fresh basil and who knows what else, it was just good so I really did not care. The guys had caught lots of fish but they were too small and were all throw backs. Not that big a deal as they had a great time catching. We had scouted a great swimming hole and wouldn't you know that the perfect camp spot we had picked out also had a perfect swimming hole just a few hundred yards away! Now to add to the afternoon swimming fun, Erica and I grabbed our Thermarest NeoAir mattresses and brought them with us. We had envisioned the NeoAirlympics as we were missing the official Summer Olympics in London while we were on the trail. We all got down to the water and tried out the air mattresses and found them to be really good as a water toy. We all participated in a few runs going head to head against each other before getting out and drying off and laying in the adjacent meadow to sun ourselves. Lucky for us, Erica brought the Quiddler cards again so a round of that ensued. We had a great time just laying there, playing the game, getting some sun and some much needed relaxation. Just as the sun was dropping over the nearby ridge we wrapped up the game, CP pulled off the victory again much to Erica's dismay. We needed to get back to camp for some warmer clothes. We got our fire going and settled in for our final meal. Erica had the final night, sweet and sour pork. It was really good and we found that the six of us could quite easily eat 10 servings with no problem. She had one of my favorite desserts, raspberry crumble, and we devoured that as well. Now this being the last night Jason put out the call for whatever extra food we all had. Some granola, oatmeal, chocolate chips, sugar and few other items came out. With a little olive oil he whipped up something with all of this stuff, kind of like a really grainy pancake like thing. At this point it did not matter, it was GOOD! Shortly after that we headed off to bed for our final night on the trail.

Group photo as we head down the JMT toward Tuolomne.

The final swimming hole near the bridge.

Our last morning was upon us and I think we all felt a little sad to be packing up for the final time. We dried our tent bottoms and packed up our gear once the meadow dried as the sun came out. We still had about 8 miles to go to reach our final destination, Tuolumne Meadows, where a fully stocked store awaited us as well as a bus back to our starting point. We got on the trail and happened to come across the father and son team we had met a few days earlier. The 7 year old was still doing great although his dad seemed to tag along on my heels for awhile for what I am certain was a chance to enjoy a little adult conversation. Having backpacked with my kids, I certainly understand this need. Come lunchtime we had found yet another great swimming hole so in we went, riding the current and enjoying a dip on a fairly warm day. It was now time to head out. Fortunately we were running a little ahead of schedule and we were able to stop one last time at a great bridge along the river where a trail from the Tuolomne Lodge crosses over the river to join the JMT. I have been there many times before and in fact just one year prior Erica and I missed each other there by one day while travelling with our families and we both agreed it would be a great place to swim. In we all went one more time. Now after a week on the trail we had to win an award as the nicest smelling backpackers ever!

Lembert Dome, the first and last "Peak" I did with my dad.

Just a mile to go from the bridge and we soon encountered a view of Lembert Dome, the first and last peak, if you can even call it a peak, I did with my dad. Thereafter we arrived at the Tuolomne store. This place has special meaning to me because as a kid I came here with my family every year. I would see, and smell, the backpackers cruising through and think how great that would be to do someday. My dad had talked about backpacking the High Sierra camps with me when I was younger but by the time I was old enough and in shape to do it, he was not. I have backpacked to many locations but finally I was the backpacker rolling into the Tuolomne Store, dropping my pack out front and raiding the store for everything sweet and salty I could grab. It may have taken me 35 years to make that dream a reality but it was finally MY reality. The finish did bring a tear to my eye as it was something I had been thinking about for many years. To have done this with GREAT friends, all of whom I have met through the Orange County Hiking and Backpacking Club made this trip something I will always remember. I head off with the Boy Scouts in a week to lead them on a Sierra Trek of their own. I hope it inspires them as much as I was as a young boy spending time up in the mountains. I want to follow through on the thought my dad had when I was younger with my boys, perhaps we will follow in the footsteps of the father/son team we met on this trip and hike from Devils Postpile to Yosemite Valley. Who knows, maybe I can get my boys to make the side trip over to the Lyell Glacier and complete an adventure hatched by their grandfather and his college roommate so many years ago. It would be even better if we can complete it and share the story and the pictures with him while he can still enjoy them. For symbolic reasons, I would likely take that ice axe from his closet to complete the adventure and give it back to him, with all the scratches and wear marks an ice axe should have after such a journey.

For all the pictures from this adventure please click here.

Kick Turns and the Crystal Crag

Base camp below the Crystal Crag

What do you think of when you hear about two 40 year old guys heading off for 4 days to live it up? A couple of balding guys in a big red Cadillac convertible heading to Vegas to enjoy wine, women and song perhaps? Well how about we trade out the Cadillac convertible for a 4x4 pickup, we make the destination Mammoth instead of Vegas and we lose the wine, women and song and trade that out for backcountry skiing, mountaineering and snoring and farting in a tent. And by the way, only one of us has male pattern balding and it’s not me!

Once again my friend Jason and I are off to enjoy the snow. We have done Baldy and Mt. Shasta together in the past with me enviously looking at his split board as I have had to walk back down the mountains and he snowboarded the whole way back to the car. Well this Christmas season I decided it was time to do something about it. I researched exactly the gear I wanted, sold a kidney (you don’t really need two, right?) and proceeded to spend my riches on what I thought would be the perfect backcountry ski setup. My wife appreciated that she had to do no shopping for me at all. Boxes would arrive at the house and I just told her to give it to me for Christmas. If only shopping for her was this easy!

I am a pretty good resort skier so the backcountry ski concept seemed like a great way for me to enjoy my love of hiking, mountaineering and skiing all at the same time. I read up on the unique attributes of backcountry skiing of which there are apparently many. Skinning, or skiing uphill, kick turns to facilitate such an endeavor, use of ski crampons and setting a skin track were all new concepts to this downhill skier. My family must think I am nuts for putting on my ski gear and skis in the front room of the house to practice all these new skills I will need. After wiping out the manger scene my wife had set in front of the Christmas tree with my ski tails multiple times I had figured out how to do a kick turn. Now if doing these maneuvers on the snow is as easy as it is on the carpet, I am a master! As I was still a little rusty on my rope handling skills I had learned while taking a snow travel course 6 months prior, I also brushed up on those including butterfly coiling my new rope and making a kiwi coil for travelling in a roped up scenario. Easy to do in the comfort of my home in front of the fireplace, I just hope it translates well to the cold environment on the snow covered slopes.

With just a couple days until our departure the weather at our destination, the Mammoth Lakes area, turned for the worst. Heavy snow and winds gusting up to 75MPH were in the forecast. As I had learned on Mt. Shasta, it pays to be flexible when planning trips in snowy environments. We opted to delay a couple days. The new days had some partly sunny days and light snow in the forecast with minimal wind for the first two days and no wind report for the final two. The temps would be cold with our first night at -5F and the high on the last day of 20F with the rest somewhere in between.

We departed home at 3AM and got up to Mammoth at a reasonable time. We had noticed that my fuel bottle for my 25 year old stove was leaking so we headed into our favorite gear shop in town, Mammoth Mountaineering, and got a new and improved fuel pump for the old reliable MSR XGK and headed over to get our permit. All went well at the Forest Service office and they reminded us of the high avalanche danger (this sounds like the Shasta trip all over again) and off we went to our trailhead.

There's a first time for everything!

As we arrived at the trailhead where they stop plowing the Lake Mary road we looked for a parking spot. The roads were plowed but still snow covered. I saw a spot that looked like I could park in and headed in. Unfortunately as I pulled forward into the snow bank my right front tire dropped off the road and sank about a foot. I tried reverse but my 4x4 with well worn tires better designed for dirt, sand and mud wasn’t going to get me out of this one. Out came the shovel and Jason and I started digging. We tried multiple times but no luck. I always carry a tow strap and after asking a couple people I found a guy willing to give me a tug to get out. I reparked in a much better spot that had become available. This was the first time I had ever had my truck stuck so it was a humbling experience. Already worn out from digging and sweating in the 15 degree temps, it was time to get our gear ready to head out.

We finished packing up our monster size backpacks which consisted of two packs for each of us. Our main pack to haul all our gear to our base camp plus a second, lighter and smaller pack for our ski mountaineering day trips. To use a phrase my Dad has accused the family of on many a vacation in the past, we looked like “Hannibal crossing the Alps!” Unfortunately for us, we had no elephants to carry the load, just us!

The great news is the couple mile trek from the trailhead to Lake George, our intended base camp area, is accessed via a groomed road. Unfortunately, it is all uphill! With the sun shining upon us and our monster top heavy packs on we put the skins on our skis and headed on up the groomed road. If either of us tipped over along the way we would have looked like a turtle flipped upside down, and been just about as coordinated as well!

We arrived at Lake George and set up base camp. Jason instructed me on the fine points of setting up camp in the snow such as stomping out a tent platform to compact the snow and then getting off it for at least a half hour to let it firm up. We positioned the tent to avoid wind blowing in the door and set up a kitchen area complete with snow couch with a great view of the Crystal Crag, a prominent rock feature on the far side of the frozen lake. We enjoyed the sun while we had it as it dropped behind the ridge at 3:30PM. We started with some prosciutto and mozzarella on parmesan crisps complete with Grey Poupon (but of course) that led into an early dinner and hot beverages while we worked on making camp improvements like walkways as the snow was so deep you would sink up to at least your knee if you stepped off the beaten down paths we were making.

It was an early night to bed as we had been up very early that morning. Since the forecast for the night was -5F we needed to do some extra prep before bed. We both had 2 sleeping pads to insulate us better from the snow. We put our water bottles in insulated containers and kept them close us all night to keep them from freezing. It turns out that the homemade cozy for my alcohol stove fits a 1 liter Nalgene bottle perfectly and was put to great alternate use on this trip. Prior to the trip I contemplated my situation as my lowest rated sleeping bag is good to 10 degrees F. I have a silk liner that might add 5 to 10 degrees of comfort but that is still cutting it close and I hate to be cold all night. The solution came to me a couple days before our departure. I also have a 45 degree summer bag that weighs just over a pound and packs down super small. I would bring both bags and put my cold weather bag inside the summer bag and combine the warmth of both down bags. Combined with my new down booties which I wore to bed it worked out perfectly and I not only survived my coldest night in the outdoors, I enjoyed it.

We awoke to a lovely sunshine morning. We fired up the stoves and found Jason’s to be running at no more than a simmer. Apparently it was in need of some maintenance. Why did we both bring stoves you ask? Well if one fails you always have a backup and it was looking like that was a really good idea. We melted snow to fill up our water bottles for the day, Jason cooked up some sausage patties and we worked on more camp improvements and packed our gear for the day. It was forecast to be about 11 degrees that day and with the sun shining it felt good. When we finally set off to ski up a nearby ridge bordering the lake I was down to a long sleeve t-shirt on top as I knew we would be heating up during the climb.

Awesome fresh powder and the Crystal Crag

Me at the top of the ridge above Lake George.

               The uphill ski touring was strenuous but not overly technical. The snow was soft as the powder snow was at least 10 feet thick. We made our way through the trees following the path laid down that morning by a couple on snowshoes. We had selected the route that morning based on the relative slope and safety of the ridge from avalanche danger. We reached the top of the ridge and sat down in the sun for a snack. The views were incredible and even our base camp was in sight as you could see the orange tent although it appeared as merely a small speck in this grand view from high atop the ridge. We removed the skins and converted our gear into downhill mode and I prepared for my first real powder run.

Jason having a rest at the ridge top.

Me taking in the views before our first ski down.

Back down to the lake after our first run.

Heading down the ridge in the deep powder was a learning experience for sure. As this was the first time since I have had good ski skills to encounter such an environment and I found it challenging. My legs got so tired on the trip down I had to stop several times. This was primarily due to the fact that I was going too slow given the conditions and I was having to work very hard to make the turns through the trees. I did not realize how slow deep powder can be and took a very cautious approach for this first run. We made it all the way down to the frozen lake. We had stayed off of the lakes the day prior and that morning as were not sure if they were safe to travel on. While up high on the ridge we had seen several people cross a few of the lakes in the area and figured if we stayed near the edge we should be fine. We made our way back to camp to enjoy another early dinner in the sunshine.

Jason shows off our quesadillas.

By the time we reached camp, the clouds had moved in and blocked the sun we were hoping for. We had plenty of time to cook and whipped up some pork loin and jalapeno muenster quesadillas for an appetizer while sitting on the snow couch enjoying the view. Since refrigeration was not a problem we were able to bring some tastier items than we normally might. We did discover that heating them from rock hard frozen can be an issue. We would rotate between cooking and doing camp improvements to keep warm and be properly fed/hydrated until about 8PM when we decided it was time for bed. The nights are very long and the days short so we had plenty of time in the tent for conversation and prepping gear for the following day. This was our exciting New Years Eve in the backcountry!

In the middle of the night the wind had picked up, Happy New Year! By early morning we could hear it snowing on the tent. When we finally got our of the tent it was breezy and snowing. Our camp improvements were almost entirely covered on snow that had blown in. The tent had a fair accumulation of snow around it as well. Out came the snow shovels and we started digging out. I had to dig down to the kitchen area and then uncover the stove. By leaving it out I let snow and ice build up in the jet and had to bang it a little to clear out the crud. With Jason’s stove relegated to simmer duties only this could be a crisis. I tried to prime the stove and the fuel just bubbled out of the jet rather than squirting like it usually would. I figured the jet had iced up and hoped that a larger amount of priming fuel would be all that it needed to warm up enough to clear. Fortunately I was right and I got the stove humming along and melting snow.

Heading up the ridge in a blizzard.

After a simple breakfast we both got our gear ready for the day. With snow falling and the breeze turning to a wind we layered up a little more than the day prior. We headed out to enjoy the same ridge again as it had proven to be safe and very fun. The track we had laid down the day prior was nearly invisible as the snow that night had filled it all in. We skinned up the ridge into what was turning into a blizzard with visibility down to 50 yards at times. When we hit the top we quickly converted to ski mode and flew back down. This time I carried more speed and the powder skiing was much easier. We made our way down to the very exposed lake and were greeted with wind gusts reaching about 40MPH! As quickly as we could we converted back to ski touring mode and made our way off the lake to seek some shelter and eat a snack. After that we did the same route all over again completing our second “lap” for the day, a first for both of us.

We skinned back to camp in a blizzard. Once again, all the work of the morning dig out was almost completely erased by the snow that had blown in. All I wanted to do was fire up the stove and make hot beverages but we realized we needed more wind protection from the 40MPH gusts driving the snow at us. Jason laid out a new plan and we started by making a snow wall near the vestibule of our tent to protect us. We were initially planning on cooking in the vestibule while we were inside the tent and in our sleeping bags. While building the snow wall Jason realized the tree adjacent to our tent was doing a great job at blocking wind and reduced the blowing snow. We decided to dig out yet another kitchen and snow couch and take advantage of both our snow block wind wall and tree. It proved to be a much better location but lacked a view. I guess you just can’t have it all. We finally fired up the stove nearly 2 hours after returning to camp to finally get a hot beverage. Due to the cold windy and snowy conditions we made this a very quick liquid and soup dinner and were in the tent for bed by 6:30PM. We both hated to go to bed this early as we knew it was going to be a VERY long night but the conditions warranted the action.

We both awoke at midnight and were wide awake. We shared in the joy that the wind had stopped but the snow was still falling. Jason had brought an ipod he could watch a movie on. I normally would be disgusted at the thought of bringing such an electronic device on a trip to the backcountry but I was the student and Jason the master. He knew how long and boring a night in the tent can be in the middle of winter so we watched a movie on the 2 inch screen and shared a pair of earphones, one ear for each of us. He went back to sleep and I paid the price for getting two great nights of sleep by laying there awake for the next four hours or so. To occupy my time I conceived every possible way I could cook the egg, sausage and cheese breakfast croissant sandwiches I had brought along with the available gear we had. In my mind I fashioned a steamer with a blend of the pots and lids we had with us. With my stomach rumbling from our shortened dinner the night before my focus on the cooking task before me was hyper focused.

At first light I had enough of the tent. I sprung out of it to find that I needed to get out the shovel again the dig out the minimal amount of snow that had accumulated in our walkway and kitchen. Having learned from the night before, I left my pot turned upside down over the stove so snow and ice did not accumulate in the burner. I had it fired up in no time. First a hot cup of cocoa and then the breakfast croissants! I cannot begin to tell you satisfying sound my stove makes once lit. I think it is a blend of the smell of white gas burning and the jet engine sound it makes that brings instant warmth and happiness to my soul. This was repeated every morning on this trip but none as sweet as this one, our final day on the four day adventure.

Breakfast croissants at last!

While the water boiled I dug out our tent which was covered in snow on the sides to a depth of between 12 to 18 inches. Light snow was still falling but the wind had finally abated which made the morning even better. I poured us both a cup of hot water to make our morning drinks and got to work on my boiler for cooking the much anticipated croissants. It did not work out exactly as planned but it worked well enough and within 15 minutes we were both enjoying a wonderful breakfast. Funny that at home this would be no big deal at all. Pop the silly thing in the microwave for 90 seconds and done, but not here!

We packed up camp during the light snowfall. Jason informed me it was good backcountry etiquette to fill in the major holes we had dug so we made quick work of that. We threw the monster size packs on our backs and headed out. While it was mostly downhill it still wasn’t easy. The slope was not quite steep enough to ski so it took awhile to make it back to the truck. We had been wondering how snowed in the truck would be given that it has snowed the last three days. Fortunately there was only about a foot surrounding it and it was quick work. Starting my diesel truck was my next worry as it had cold soaked for 4 days and never saw a temp over 10 degrees F. I had treated the fuel so it should be OK. It turned over ever so slowly at first. It started rather quickly but ran so rough and sounded so loud you would have thought you were standing next to a stamp mill in a gold mining town. After about a minute it smoothed out and all was well.

The trip home was most enjoyable as it snowed from Lone Pine all the way down to the 14 and 5 merge. Seeing Ridgecrest, Palmdale and Lancaster in the snow was a really new experience. Given the weather conditions, we did surprisingly well on our return.

I learned so much on this trip. I discovered that you do not need to buy a super cold rated sleeping bag if you have two semi cold rated bags. I found a new use for my cozies from my alcohol stove. The new tent I had purchased for this trip worked out perfectly and was just right for the two of us and all our winter gear. I learned that while hanging out at camp and cooking sounds fun, it is darn cold and your body wants to just get it done. Both of us hauled home at least half of the food we took. I have read plenty of stories of guys on Everest and that about all they eat is soup when they are up high on the mountain. While we were nowhere near the conditions they face, I think I have begun to understand what they are going through. My new backcountry ski gear worked flawlessly which is great as it was the first use on most of it. I discovered that the short days make for long nights in the tent, and that sucks! In the future I plan on getting a stove I can operate inside the tent which can at least make those first morning beverages a little easier as well as offer the ability to retreat from really bad weather and cook inside the tent. I discovered that my wool gloves were great around camp and actually do keep you warm even when wet. Most importantly I found they can be dried by keeping them in your sleeping bag all night! I also learned that I should have left my rope, harness, carabineers, amateur radio and ski and boot crampons behind and saved about 10 lbs. of stuff I never touched!

While learning and discovering new things on this trip, the most important one I think I figured out is that this would be more comfortable if done in the spring when the days are longer, the sun shines more often and the temps are milder. With that in mind I am planning on a springtime trip to Split Mountain to complete another California fourteener. Until then, I will keep practicing my winter skills and hope for good snow but also some warmer temps to enjoy it in!
Click here for the pictures from the whole trip.